I. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to the field of transportation of dangerous materials in order to ensure compliance with applicable regulatory requirements.
II. Background Information
The shipment of hazardous or dangerous materials is strictly regulated by several National and International organizations. Depending on the materials to be transported and depending on the transportation route, one or more of the following international regulatory conventions may have to be complied with: ADR (European Agreement concerning the international carriage of dangerous goods by road), RID (Regulation concerning the international transportation of dangerous goods by railway), IMDG Code (International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code), ADNR (European Agreement concerning the transportation of dangerous goods by ship on the river Rhine).
In addition, national laws concerning the transportation of dangerous goods may also need to be complied with depending on the transportation route. For example, both the International Air Transportation Association (IATA) and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulate the shipment of “dangerous goods.” Under Section 2.7 of the IATA regulations and under 49 C.F.R. 173.4 and HM 181 of the DOT regulations, certain exceptions are made to otherwise extremely stringent requirements for the shipment of dangerous goods. These exceptions are generally referred to as “Dangerous Goods In Excepted Quantities,” or “Exceptions for Small Quantities.”
For example, in order to qualify for shipment under “Dangerous Goods In Excepted Quantities,” the general rule is that no more than 30 ml of a hazardous liquid or 30 grams of a hazardous solid (such as oxidizers or corrosives) can be shipped within a single bottle. In addition, any container (e.g. box) enclosing the bottle holding the hazardous material must meet a number of Federally mandated tests including a drop test, a stack test, an internal pressure test, a Cobb water absorption test, and a vibration test. If the entire containment assembly passes these tests, it meets these requirements and can be shipped by passenger or cargo aircraft. In addition, since regulations for air transport are more stringent than for ground transport, compliance with these air regulations ensures compliance with applicable ground transport regulations as well. Even when shipping dangerous goods in “Excepted Quantities,” there are a number of stringent regulatory requirements that must be met. Accordingly, systems and methods disclosed herein are directing to addressing these requirements.